


Covered In Wilderness

by geeky_ramblings



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Minor Character Death, Slow Burn, So Slow The Lovers Part Doesn't Happen In This Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-16 04:33:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19310698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geeky_ramblings/pseuds/geeky_ramblings
Summary: The Road So Far: When Mary made the deal with Yellow Eyes to save John’s life, she had no clue that she would have ended up burning up on the ceiling of Sam’s bedroom but what if she didn’t?  What if it was John who went into the nursery that night and suffered Mary’s fate.  Now it’s up to protect her family from the demon Azazel but she doesn’t want anything to do with the family business or have any part in raising her son in the life.   She will anything to protect her boys including getting a little help from a friend.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A very special thank you to raving_liberal. Not only is she an awesome beta but this story would not be finished without her encouragement. She also introduced me to the song that inspired the title of this story:
> 
> https://youtu.be/CLcRRolgffA
> 
> The places (although one closed down) in this story are real and very unique. It was fun researching Sioux Falls and finding out the kitchy tourist attractions the area had to offer.
> 
> Another special thank you to my artist on this story, red_b_rackham, who did such gorgeous work on the banners. It was great working with you :)

 

COVERED IN WILDERNESS ARTWORK BY: red_b_rackham

LINK TO ARTWORK:[ Covered By Wilderness Art](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19203709)

Mary Winchester had just finished breastfeeding and changing Sam before rocking him back to sleep. Once his eyes were closed, she placed Sam in the crib and went back into the master bedroom to hopefully get some sleep herself. Since bringing little Samuel home from the hospital, Mary, hadn’t been getting enough rest. Unlike her older son, Dean, Sam didn’t sleep through the night, so most morning she was tired and had no energy left to conquer the day, so when Sam started wailing again after just after feeding him, she asked John to go checking on him.

That one request started a chain of events that would change Mary Winchester’s life for good. When she found John burning on the ceiling of Sam’s nursery and the Yellow Eyed Demon hovering over Sam’s crib, Mary knew that her debt had been called in. Azazel had come to collect on their bargain they had made — now she had lost John anyway. The man she had made a promise for was now dead, and Mary wasn’t sure what the demon had done to Sam before disappearing into nothingness.

Right now, all she knew was that she had to get the hell out of Dodge. The police were sure to ask her questions, and she didn’t have the time to answer them. She wasn’t sure if the Yellow Eyed Demon would be back for her baby. There was a reason he had been there for Sam, and Mary wasn’t about to let Azazel find them again. She had to find a safer place to live — a place that wasn’t currently burning down to the ground.

With the boys safely buckled in the backseat of the Impala, Mary started the car and drove away from Lawrence, Kansas; a place where she thought she would spent the the rest of her life with John. Her life as a hunter, however, had back come to bite her in the ass. No matter what happened, Mary swore that she would never bring Dean and Sam into that life. She would find Azazel on own her terms, but that wouldn’t included wandering around from town to town — the boys deserved better than that.

They needed a house, stability, and a mother who would alway be there for them, not a life that might kill them. In order to do that she needed to find a safe place for them to grow up — a place where a hunter had decided to put down roots and wasn’t living the the life of a grifter. With her daddy gone and most of the hunters she knew scattered to the wind, Mary couldn’t remember anyone who fit that description. Mary needed to find someone she could trust with not only her life but the lives of her children. For that, she needed a psychic, and Mary knew just the women to go to.

Samuel Campbell had always trusted Missouri Moseley with his life. Ever since his daddy brought Samuel to Missouri’s parents house at the age of sixteen years, he had been going to her for readings. Her predictions had never been wrong, not even about his death. When Samuel had taken a fifteen-year-old Mary to see her, Missouri had told her about John.

At first she didn’t believe the psychic — Mary never believed that she could get out of the life she had been born in. After meeting John, she went back to have Missouri read her fortune. With the tarot cards lying on the table, she told Mary of her future — of John’s death. She ran out of Missouri’s house that day and never looked back. She hadn’t seen the psychic since, but now she had no choice. Missouri’s predicts had come true and now Mary Winchester needed her help.

After a couple of stops along the way, Mary and the boys founds themselves in front of Missouri Moseley’s house in Omaha, Nebraska. She sat in the car for several minutes wondering if she was making the right decision. The last time they had met, Mary had a said a few choice words to Missouri, and they hadn’t exactly parted on the best terms. She had called the psychic a fake and a fraud for daring to predict John’s death. Missouri hadn’t been wrong, and looking back on the incident now, Mary felt a bit ashamed.

She was quite stubborn when it came to John, but Missouri’s prediction were always right. Maybe if she had listened to the psychic back then, John would still be alive today. Taking a deep breath, Mary got out of the car before taking Sam out of his carseat. As she held the sleeping baby in her arms, Mary took Dean’s hand and walked down the paved path to Missouri’s house. Mary was about to knock on the door when it opened to reveal a smiling Missouri.

“Mary Winchester, as I live and breathe. It’s nice to see you again, and just look at these two sweet boys. Why don’t you come inside?”

Following Missouri into the house, Mary was led into the living room. Sitting down, she clutched Sam tighter to her chest as Dean looked around for something to play with in the little book bag that Mary had bought him at their last stop. As he pulled out the Scooby Doo color book and a crayon box, Mary smiled wearily.

“Hey baby, why don’t you take that into the other room while I talk to this nice lady?”

“Let me show you to my son, James’, old play room,” Missouri said as she led Dean into another room.

While they were gone, Sam’s soft wail filled the room. Lifting up her shirt, Mary undid her nursing bra and began to feed Sam. As he drank his fill, Missouri came back and sat on the chair across from her.

Looking up at her, any words of apology that Mary might have said died on her lips as the psychic said, “I’m sorry for your loss, I know how much you loved him.”

“He and the boys were my world, and I’m going to make that Yellow Eyed bastard pay for what he has done,”  Mary said angrily. “He killed my husband and I think he did something to my baby.”

“Unfortunately, the answer to that remains unclear to me but I see many paths for your sons, but only you can choose which one they go down.”

“What do you see, Missouri?” Mary asked, her voice filled with dread.

“One will bring your boys only heartache and pain, while the other one will bring the redemption they wouldn’t have had with their father.”

“You were fated to die, Mary Winchester. Without you, John would have sought his revenge at the expense of our boys. They would never know a life without hunting, and Azazel would have used Sam for his own nefarious plans. I still see that path before him, but there are ways to stop it. That, however, isn’t the only problem that lies before you.”

“There’s more?" Mary asked, as Sam finished feeding.

“Yes, you see, the boys have a destiny that has been laid out for them since the beginning of time.”

“Fuck destiny!”

“You can not undo what the angels have been plotting the dawn of man; only Sam and Dean can.”

“And what actually have they have they been planning?”

“Mary, are you sure you want to hear this?” Missouri asked, conflict filling her eyes.  Mary could tell that Missouri didn’t want to tell her any of this. She and the boys would have rough road ahead of them and she could tell they psychic didn’t want to be the bearer of  any more bad news.

“I need to go into battle with eyes wide open. I can’t do that if I’m blindfolded. I need to know everything: he good, the bad, and the ugly. Don’t hold anything back on me now, please,” Mary begged desperately.

“Tell me Mary, how did you feel about John when you first met him?”

“He was brash and a bit cocky. In fact, I couldn’t stand him — we fought all the time. I never thought I would marry him. He wasn’t my type.”

“That’s because you and John were never meant to be together. You had another destiny until Heaven and its angels interfered. You were their greatest match — Heaven rejoiced when the two of you got together, because that meant that Lucifer and Michael would have their vessels. Since the beginning of time, this was their plans for the Winchester line. Sam was always meant to be Lucifer’s vessel, just like Dean was meant to be Michael’s.”

Mary’s body tensed at the psychic’s words. Pulling Sam closer to her body, she held her baby tightly. Everything inside of her was telling her to run — to fuck destiny. She didn’t want this for her sons. What right did these angel bastard have to use her family like this? Tension soon turned to anger. Mary wanted know more so she could make them all pay. Heaven had manipulated their lives and now she was going to give them hell.

“Those bastards can’t have my babies!” Mary growled, trying to hold back the tears. She couldn’t cry — not now when she had so many things on her plate. She had to be strong for both of her boys and herself. She couldn’t break down now.

“That will be their decision to make.  You can’t make it for them. They have to say no, not you.”

“Please, Missouri, I have to help them,” Mary begged, just wanting this nightmare of a couple of days to end.

“There is nothing you or I can do except try to set you, Sam, and Dean on the right path. The first thing you needed to do is find Azazel and kill him.”

“I can’t, not while the boys are so young. I can’t travel from dirty motel to dirty motel seeking my revenge, Missouri. The boys don’t deserve that, and neither do I. I made a promise to myself when I married that my children would never become hunters, and that is a promise I don’t plan on breaking. Yellow Eyes can wait. I have children to raise.”

“You're already on the right path, Mary Winchester,” Missouri said with a smile. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but you came here for information.”

“Yes, I need a safe place that I can raise my boys. I haven’t been in the life since I married John, but I would like to settle down close to a hunter who has put down some roots.”

“I know of three such people, but one of them is a better choice. Ellen and Bill have a bar, but they go hunting too often. There is only one other person I can think of,  and he might not be all too willing to help. His name is Bobby Singer, and he lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota,” Missouri said.

Mary sensed some hesitation as she shifted a hungry Sam to her other breast. Suddenly, she got the feeling that she might have made the wrong choice in coming to Missouri for help.

“Is this Bobby fellow okay?” she asked, sensing there was something troubling that the psychic wasn’t telling her about this hunter.

“Bobby Singer is a good guy — smart, too. The last few years haven’t been to kind to him, is all.”

“That’s every hunter’s life, Missouri. What are you not tell me? I can’t trust him with my life or the lives of my boys without seeing the full deck of cards you’re holding to closely again your chest,” Mary said angrily.  

 

As Sam stop feeding, she held him against her chest and began to burp him. Routine, however, didn’t distract Mary from her goal and that was to learn everything she could about this Bobby Singer. She need to feel safe after her little world had turned into chaos, but she wasn’t sure this hunter Missouri spoke of would be any use to her little family — not if he wasn’t willing to help them. Mary, didn’t think he was dangerous, however. She doubted that the psychic would have even brought him up if he intended to harm her or the kids.

“Please tell me, Missouri. I’m a big girl, I can handle it.”

“Several years ago, Bobby lost his wife, Karen. She was possessed by a demon and…”

“He was the one who put her down,” Mary said, finishing Missouri’s sentence.

“Yes, and since then he’s been grieving. Karen was his first and only love. After her death he went into hunting. Now he stays home helping other hunters.”

“We’re two sides of the same coin. Both widowers because of a demon. If anything, Missouri, he would understand what I’m going through.”

“I just think it will hit a little close to home for him — to have you and the boys so close,” Missouri said, sadness filling her eyes. “He’s hasn’t gotten over losing Karen.”

“And I will never get over John. This seems like the perfect situation to me.”

Before Missouri could say anything more, Dean poked his head out of the playroom and said, “Mommy, I’m hungry.”

“In a minute, sweetie. Do you have any peanut butter and jelly?”

“I can make him some macaroni and cheese, if you would like,” Missouri offered.

“That would be wonderful.”

“After I’m finished with that, I would like to hold that little baby of yours,” the psychic said, before going into the kitchen.

Once she was gone, Mary looked down at her little boy and asked, “What do you think we should do, Sammy?”

On the one hand, Mary could tuck her tail her between her legs and go back to Lawrence, Kansas. There she would be faced with questions and the possibility that Yellow Eyes would find Sam. On the other, Mary could make the trip to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and introduce herself to this Bobby Singer. She could only hope for the best, but somehow, the way that Mary’s life was going at the moment, she definitely expected the worse. Could she really trust Bobby Singer? Mary was about to find out.

Once Dean was finished eating his fill of macaroni and cheese, and Sam was fussed over by Missouri, Mary said her goodbyes before buckling the boys back into the Impala. Shifting the car into the drive, she faced the empty road not knowing where the path would lead her.

The journey so far had been a long and winding road, but Mary had finally made it to Sioux Falls. Pulling over and parking by the welcome sign, taking a deep breath, Mary stared at it for awhile. She could do this, she could start this new chapter of life with her boys. Still there was a part of her that wondered if she could this without John.

There was so much going against her and her boys, Mary had no other alternative but to leave her past behind and strive towards a future where her boys would be safe. After taking one more breath, Mary put the Impala in drive. She was about to meet her future head on; there was no turning back.

Arriving at the nearest motor lodge, Mary paid for a hotel room for the night from the money she had hidden in a cookie jar for a rainy day. This was her rainy day, a dingy motel in the middle of nowhere. Tomorrow, she would look in the newspaper to see if anyone was renting out a two bedroom apartment — just until the insurance money came through. After ordering a pizza,  Mary changed Sam’s diaper before undoing her nursing bra. As Dean played quietly with his cars, Mary sang a little lullaby.

Sam’s eyes began to close when Dean asked, “Mommy when is daddy coming back?”

Dean had always been her big brave boy, protecting her even though she was the parent. Seeing the fear in her four-year-old’s eyes, Mary’s heart broke. John had always been Dean’s hero and now she had to explain to her son that he was gone.

“I’m sorry sweetie, but daddy was taken up to heaven by the angels.”

“Daddy isn’t coming back?" he asked innocently.

“No, he’s not,” she said, tears streaming down her face.

With her left arm holding Sam, she beckoned Dean over, wrapping her other arm around Dean as he began to cry.

“I love you, little man, Mary said, kissing him on top of his head.

“I love you too, mommy.”

Holding her two boys for a while, Mary let herself truly mourn for the first time since found John burning on the ceiling.

By the time the pizza came, Mary had put a sleeping Sam in his bassinet, bathed Dean and taken a nice long, hot shower. Once she felt marginally human from the couple days of dirt, she cut up the pizza for Dean and then grabbed a slice of her own. It wasn’t as good as the pizzeria near her house, but Mary still savored the taste. One slice became two as Dean’s eyes began to droop closed. The last couple of days had been hard for both boys, and Mary knew that her little boy could use some sleep. Tucking him in, she began to hum as Dean drifted off to sleep.

As Mary watched over the boys for a while, she couldn’t help but have a spark of hope for their future. She was determined to make sure that neither Sam nor Dean would become hunters while they were still little. They wouldn’t grow up the same way she had. There were more important things in life than the family business. With that thought in mind, Mary tried to get some rest, but instead came the nightmares. As soon as her eyes closed, John was sprawled on the ceiling, blood dripping from the wound on his stomach

_“This is all your fault, you know. His death is on your hands,” Azazel said, his yellow eyes glowing with mirth. “You were so desperate to save him that you didn’t think of the consequences, did you?_

_“I love John. I would have done anything to save him!”_

_“You didn’t love him. Not really. You wanted him dead — you’re glad his dead. He is the bastard that left you for months. He only came back because you were pregnant again.”_

_“That’s a lie!”_

_“Is it? You know it’s the truth. He had put you on some kind of pedestal, but he saw you for who you really were. He saw all of your flaws and lies. He hated you, Mary. You damned your own son for a man who had one foot outside the door. You forgot about that, didn’t you? You stopped at nothing to bring him back, and he couldn’t stand you anymore. You never thought about Sam when you made that deal with me. You’re selfish, Mary Winchester; you and your boys deserve to die.”_

_“I going to find you and when I do, I going to kill you!" she screamed, lunging at the demon, but her feet were firmly stuck to the ground. Whatever Yellow Eyes had done to her, Mary couldn’t move._

_“You can try, but you won’t succeed. Until then you’ll have continue wondering what exactly did I do to your little boy," Azazel said with a smirk._

Mary clenched her fist in rage.  She wanted nothing more than to kill Azazel, but before she could even move towards his direction, she woke up.

Waking up in a sweat, Mary gasped for air. Her body trembled as Sam began to wail in the bassinet besides her bed. After lifting him up, she held him close as tears began fell down her face once more. As she tried to comforted him, a sleepy Dean said, “Don’t worry mommy, everything will be okay.”

She wished should believe her little boy, but everything at the moment seemed so hopeless. Azazel had been right — Mary had been selfish and now she was paying the price for it. Undoing her nursing bra, she tried to hold it all together. As she began feeding Sam, Dean began to sing _“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star_." He tried to wrap his little arms around her and his brother the best that he could.

Mary tried to smile through her tears. Dean was going to grow up to be a good man some day; she only hoped she lived to see it. Wiping her stray tears away, she redid her bra and began to burp Sam. Looking over at Dean, she said, “I have to run a few errands today. Go brush your teeth.”

“Then can we go to the park?" he asked excitedly.

“We’ll see, buddy.”

After he had run into the bathroom, Mary laid out some clothes for Dean. She then went to change Sam into one of the few onesies he hadn’t outgrown, and even then Mary knew that she would have to clothes shopping in a week or two. Sam was growing like a weed, and it would only be a matter of time before he had another growth spurt. When he was finally dressed, Mary went to go check on Dean.

“Did you brush your back teeth?"

“Uh-huh,” Dean answered, his Scooby Doo toothbrush still in his mouth.

“Finish up, and I’ll help you get dressed.”

A couple seconds later, Mary watched Dean place his toothbrush down and sip some water into his mouth. After swishing it around, he then spat it into the sink before running back into the room. On the bed was his favorite Shaggy shirt and pair of jeans. With a bit of help from Mary, he was dressed and ready to go. Leaning over to look at his little brother, who Mary had put in his carrier, Dean said, “Sam wants to go on the swings, don’t you Sam?”

“If we have time, Dean," she promised.

Mary knew he was getting a little antsy from being on the road for so long, but she had a few things to check out before she was willing to call Sioux Falls home. First thing on the menu was breakfast, and then she had a grumpy old man to see. Carrying Sam in one arm and taking Dean’s hand with the other, she led them out of the hotel room before locking the door. Once she was sure demon, monster, or human couldn’t enter, she walked to the Impala.

With Dean and Sam in their carseats, Mary drove to a diner she passed on her way to the motel. Parking in the almost-full parking lot, she took the boys out of the car and went inside. When hostess finally seated them, Mary placed Sam in his high chair as Dean sat down in the booth and began to color on the kid’s menu.

Time seemed to stand still for moment as she began to decompress. The smell of bacon, the clanking of plates, and the soft murmur of conversation grounded Mary. The hustle and bustle of the small town diner was a breath of fresh air to Mary. It wrapped around her like a warm hug, and her weary shoulders relaxed. This little spot of normal was just what Mary needed before she had to face an uncertain future. She hated to have to depend on anyone, especially strangers.

While waiting for their waitress to come by their table, she took out a tiny piece of paper from her jeans’ pocket. On it was Bobby Singer’s address written in Missouri’s handwriting. Glancing down at it, Mary wondered for not the first time today if she was doing the right thing. There, however, weren’t that many options left for her. It was Bobby Singer or bust, because there was no way that Mary was going to become a full time hunter with two little boys to raise.

“Will there be anything else?” the perky red-haired waitress asked.

“No, thank you just the check please. By the way, do you happen to know how to get to this address?” Mary asked showing her Bobby’s address.

“You want to go to Bobby Singer’s house?”

“Yes, he’s a friend of mind,” Mary lied.

“You seem too nice to be friends with the town drunk.”

“What?!!”

“After his wife died, people say he went a little crazy — some people say he killed her in a fit of rage. I don’t believe that, of course. He seems pretty harmless, except for the drunk and disorderliness the sheriff keeps on bring him in for. Anyway, everyone around here leaves Bobby alone. I suggest you do the same," she said, placing Mary’s check on the table.

“Fuck,” Mary exclaimed a bit too loudly.

“I thought we weren’t s’posed to say naughty words Mommy.”

“No, we’re not, mommy is very sorry Dean.”

“Okay, can we go to the park now?”

“Sure,” Mary said, she would do just about anything to delay the enviable.

Maybe she should have never listened to Missouri, because right now depending on Bobby Singer seemed like a dead end. Paying for breakfast, she left a tip before walking out with her boys. After asking a couple of locals for directions to the nearest playground, Mary drove there and parked. As she looked around, she noticed a huge sign across the street. In big bold letters it said Singer Auto Salvage.

“Figures,” Mary muttered.

“Can I push Sammy on the swing?”

“Sure sweetie, just be careful with him.”

“I will," Dean promised as Mary put Sam in the bucket swing.

Mary carefully watched as Dean began to push Sam’s swing gently. Sam’s giggles filled the air as Mary glanced up at the sign in front of Bobby’s once again. Her mind wandered back to the waitress’s words as Mary pondered her next move. When Missouri had her told about Bobby, she didn’t mention that he was drunk, just that he was still grieving his wife’s death. While she understood the pain of losing the one you loved, she had two boys to think about.  

The truth was that Mary was also afraid. Sometimes John liked his beer a little too much, and he was a mean drunk. He would never touch her or the boys, but sometimes John would say the nastiest things — things that had him buying her roses the next day. Although she loved John more than life itself, their marriage hadn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. Azazel had been right: before she found out she had been pregnant with Sam, John had left them.

There was a time that Mary thought he wouldn’t come back — that their once happy marriage would end in divorce. John was still living on his own when Mary started feeling morning sickness. The plastic stick with the pink plus sign mocked her cruelly as she dialed John’s number.

That night he came home, promises were made and more than a year later she had found him burning on the ceiling. Scolding herself for these thoughts, Mary told herself that John was a good man, and it was possible that Bobby was as well. Just because a gossipy waitress at the local diner told Mary that Bobby was the town drunk didn’t mean he was.

She could at least give him a chance — just one, and if it didn’t work out Mary could always get Ellen and Bill’s phone number from Missouri. They might be a better option than an alcoholic who couldn’t hold his liquor

“Mommy, can I got on the slide?” Dean asking, bringing Mary’s attention back to her boys.

She really had to be more careful than this. Azazel could be anywhere and here she was wrapped up in her own thoughts.

“We have to go, sweetie. We can come back tomorrow,” Mary said, lifting Sam out of the swing.

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

Balancing Sam on her hip, she took Dean’s hand in her’s and walked across the street to Bobby’s house. Taking a deep breath, Mary walked up the front stoop and knocked on the ancient oakwood door. The curtains moved a bit for a moment before Mary heard the unlatching of the door. With the cocking of a gun, it was opened to reveal a man in this late thirties with auburn hair down to his shoulders. She was surprised by a familiar face that had visited her father ten years ago.

“Get off my property.”

“Please, Bobby, hear me out,” Mary begged.

“How do you know my name?”

“Missouri told me about you. I need your help.”

“I’m sorry lady, but I’m not in that business anymore. Find someone else,” Bobby said as he was about to close the door.

“I don’t know if you remember me but I’m Mary Campbell, Samuel Campbell’s daughter,” she said in desperation.

“Sure, I remember Sam, he was a good man.”

“You heard?” Mary asked.

“Yes, I’m sorry for your loss, but I don’t think I can help you. Hell, I can hardly help myself.”

“Please,  just let me inside, I need to explain to you…”Mary said as tears began to stream down her flushed cheeks.

“Balls! Come on, you look like you could use a good glass of cheap whiskey.”

“I can’t, I’m breastfeeding,” Mary lied, shifting a heavy Sam to her other hip. She knew that alcohol did little to nothing to breast milk, but she need to keep her wits about her.

“Orange juice, then.”

Waving them inside, Bobby waited until they were in the hallway before locking the door with a couple of chains. After leading them to the kitchen, he poured two glasses of juice and a shot glass of whiskey for himself. Downing it, he looked at Dean and said, “Don’t touch anything while I talk to your mom. I don’t need your grubby little fingerprints all over my books.”

“Dean, would you like to go color?”she asked, while glaring at Bobby. If looks could kill, the older man would already be dead.

“Yes!”

“Do you have somewhere he can go? Preferably away from your precious books,” Mary said, as she handed Dean his book bag.

“He can go in the living room, just a long as he doesn’t touch my things. It’s in the other room. Come on, I’ll show you.”

Staring daggers at Bobby, her eyes followed him as he led Dean into the other room. Bobby didn’t know it, but he already had a strike against him; no one talked Mary’s kids like that, not even their own father. Two more strikes and Mary would be getting the hell out of Dodge. When Dean was securely in the other room, Bobby came back to a very angry Mary Winchester.

“I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t talk to my kids like that.”

“Look lady, it wasn’t like I asked you here!”

“This was a bad idea!” Mary growled.

“So leave!”

“Fuck this! I don’t know why I came here in the first place. Missouri said you were a good guy, but I guess she doesn’t know everything. And to think I felt sorry for you, you fucking jerk! You know, I lost someone I love, too, but I’m not being a dick about it," Mary said, her face turning red with anger. She was done with this shit. She had enough of the lemons that life kept on handing her.

“I know you lost your father…”

“No, I came here because I saw my husband burning alive on the ceiling. Now go get my son so I can leave this flea infested house of yours.”

“Wait, did you say burning on the ceiling?” Bobby asked, walking hurried into another room.

With Sam still in her arms,  Mary followed him as they entered a small study with books strewn all over the floor and papers messily placed on a barely visible desk. A shocked Mary stood there for a moment before looking around. She could tell that the house was loved once, but it had fallen in disrepair. It was like time had stopped once Bobby’s wife had died. As her eyes lingered on a picture of Bobby and his wife on their wedding day,  Bobby riffled through some of the piles before finding what he was looking for.

“Found it!”

“Found what?” Mary asked, seeing a change in Bobby’s posture.

“Over the past couple of months there has been rash of fires. All the families had one thing in common.”

“What?”

“They all had a baby who was six months old.”

“Sam is six months,” Mary said.

Their argument forgotten, the two hunters had fallen in sync. There was a small part of her that missed this.

“Well, rumor has it Azazel is out there collecting on the bargains he made. He isn’t too picky about killing people in order to do it.”

“Including, my husband. Bobby, we have to find him.”

“Mommy, can we go home?” Dean said, breaking whatever spell they had been under.

Suddenly, Bobby’s whole body tensed as her little boy walked into the room. He watched Dean closely as he went over to one of the bookshelves.

“Don’t touch that, boy,” Bobby’s voice projected anger, but his body posture spoke of fear. He was afraid of Dean, and Mary didn’t understand why.

“Like I told you before, I don’t appreciate you taking to my son like that!”

The camaraderie they had was suddenly gone, replaced by tension and mistrust. Bobby the scholar and hunter was gone, and in his place was a downtrodden man who looked at Dean like he had seen a ghost. Still his back straighten out, and it seemed like he grew a couple of inches taller in bravado.

“Your boy was putting his sticky fingers in places where they don’t belong. “

“You don’t fool me, Bobby Singer. I can tell when a man is bluffing, and right now I can see your tell.”

Bobby studied her for a moment before asking, “So what’s your story, Mary Campbell?”

“Winchester. My last name is Winchester.”

“Well, Mrs. Winchester, it seems to me like you have a story to tell, and by the haunted look in your eye, I can tell it’s a doozy. “

“Not in front of the boys.”

“If I’m going to help you with you little situation, I can’t go in blind. I need whatever information you have,” Bobby said, his voice rising a bit.

“Dean, can you take Sam into the other room? Mr. Singer and I need to talk about something for a while, and then we can go back to the motel. ”

“Yes, mommy," he said, as Mary careful placed Sam in Dean’s arms.

Once they were out of earshot, she spun on her heels and glared at Bobby a moment. She knew this was a facade, that this mask of anger that he projected wasn’t real. This was what he did to protect himself — a role he played to keep everyone at arm’s length. His reputation for being the town drunk was for a reason, and Mary was starting to get an inkling of what made Bobby Singer tick. Yet, Mary was sure that she had only scratched the surface of what kind of man he truly was.

“If you're going to help me, Bobby, you’re going to have to deal with the boys as well. We’re a package deal.”

“Just make sure your son doesn’t touch anything in this room,” he grumbled before going back to the papers on his barely visible desk.

“You’re really a marshmallow deep down in the gruff exterior of yours, aren’t you?" Mary said sarcastically.

"I just don’t like kids, is all," he lied, his face giving away his tell.

Something in his past had made Bobby this way, and Mary couldn’t help but feel a bit curious. He seemed like a nice man underneath all his bluster, so why was he so edgy when it came to children? It was a mystery that needed to be solved, but at another time — they had a demon to track down.

“Dean and Sam are good boys. Just give them a chance.”

“I’ll try.”

“Good.  Now, you were telling me about the other families that made deals with Azazel.”

“Over the past couple of months, I’ve been getting calls from other hunters. Each one from a different part of the country — all of them about a burning house that use to belong to a family with a six month old.”

“Did anyone die in these fires?" Mary asked, wondering how many families out there were now missing a father or a mother.

“In some case, yes, but in others, everyone got out alive.”

“How did you know that Azazel was there to collect on a deal?”

“Rufus, a hunter I trust, got the information from one of the parents. So tell me, Mary, what kind of deal did you make with Old Yellow Eyes?”

Sighing, Mary sat down on the older beaten couch that was littered with old beer cars and papers. She felt weary and tired. It had been a long day and it was just about to get longer. Mary wasn’t sure she was ready to relive John’s death especially after her nightmare last night. For now,  Mary wasn’tup for the pain her story would bring her.

“You can tell me another day, Mary, just as long as you tell me," Bobby said, noticing her body go rigid.

“I appreciate that, Bobby, I promise I will tell you everything tomorrow. Right now I have a four year who is probably hungry and a growing baby to feed.”

“I could cook you guys something, if you would like.”

Noticing the hesitation in Bobby’s voice, Mary smiled. Gone was the angry gruff man before, and in his place was the real Bobby Singer. A smart man who knew his lore and cared about other people. He was just good at hiding it.

“That would be lovely, thank you.”

As he went in the kitchen to fix them an early dinner, Mary went to check on her boys. Roaming through the house, she noted the peeling wallpaper and a row of phones that were lined up against the wall. Each of them had different division of law enforcement labeled on them. They reminded her of the house she grew up in. When Samuel Campbell wasn’t hunting, he would be saving other hunters’ asses from the local law enforcement. Apparently Bobby had taken over that job after Samuel died.

Just thinking about her father and John, made Mary’s blood boil. All she wanted to do was find Azazel and kill him. She knew, however, that her boys were more important than hunting. That wasn’t the life she led anymore and revenge would have to come from someone else. Clenching her fists, Mary took a deep breath and tried to let the anger go. It would be a long time before she would totally be free from it, but Mary had to be calm for the boys’ sake.

Continuing her walk through Bobby’s house, she noticed little things here and there. As she studied the wedding picture hung in the hallway, Mary heard Dean’s voice coming from the next room.

“You would like Casper, Sammy I know you would. He’s always looking after me.”

“Who is Casper?” Mary asked as she walked into the room.

“Just a friend. Are we going home, mommy?”

“After dinner, sweetie. Mr. Singer is cooking for us.”

“I don’t think he likes me or Sam very much.”

“He likes you just fine, now why don’t you wash up?” Mary said, taking Sam from Dean’s arms.

While Dean went to go find the bathroom, Mary sat down on the couch as she cuddled Sam for a moment. She loved this — loved having a baby in her arms. It sadden her that she would probably never get another moment like this. After Dean was born, John and Mary never talked about having another one. Sam had been a surprise, one that she had been happy about — John no so much.

It had been one of the many arguments they had, ending with John leaving them for a couple of months. He had done that several times over the course of their marriage and although the thought of a divorced lingered through her mind, Mary still loved the bastard. Even when he was at his worse. When she had told Missouri, Azazel, and Bobby that she loved John, she hadn’t been lying. Mary did love him — the best way she knew how.

She didn’t put him on some pedestal, and Mary could be honest with herself that over the past couple of years being married to John had been hard. Death didn’t make him into a better person but she did mourn that man she fell in love with. John had given her two wonderful boys and that’s more than most people get.

As she cradled Sam close to her chest, he began to fuss as Dean came back into the bathroom. Undoing her bra, she looked up at the clock, seeing that it was past 5. Mary couldn’t believe how late it had gotten. Soon it would be checking out time at the motel, and she hadn’t paid for another night. With the decision to actually to stay in Sioux Falls, Mary needed to stay somewhere more permanent — not some dingy hotel where the bed accepted quarters for magical fingers.

“Dinner is ready,” Bobby said, coming in the living room.

He paused for a moment as look at Sam, a soft smile light up his face before it quickly went away. Replacing it was a look of pain. He lingered there for a moment, and Mary wondered if he had lost a child along with his wife. His expression spoke of regret, and Mary realized that whatever happened to Bobby, it caused him to be uncomfortable with children.

“I appreciate it, Bobby.”

“It’s not much…”

“It’s fine. We haven’t had a home cooked meals since we left Kansas,” Mary said getting up from the couch.

“Thank you, Mr. Singer.”

Dean ran into the kitchen, Mary following close behind him. Sitting down, she continued to feed Sam as Bobby placed the plates on the table. On hers and Bobby’s were steak, while Dean’s had chicken nuggets along with some fries.

“I figured the kid wouldn’t want anything fancy.”

“Most kids don’t. I’m lucky that Dean isn’t a picky kid," Mary said, looking on as her little boy started to dig in.

“So where are guys staying?”

“I rented a room at the motor lodge, but I don’t see myself staying there for long.”

“Where are planning on going after this?”

“I’m not,” Mary admitted. “I’m thinking of staying here and to do that I need your help, Bobby.”

“That would mean you telling me your story, and I’m not sure if you are ready for that yet.”

“I’m not. I need a good night’s sleep before I unpack all my BS on you.”

“I’ll be here when you need me.”

“Missouri was right. You’re a good guy, Bobby Singer.”

“Just don’t you go telling anyone that. I got a reputation to maintain.”

Smiling, Mary finished feeding Sam before taking a bite of her steak. She wasn’t much of cook — her speciality was Winchester Surprise. Most of the time she either burnt dinner or went with the frozen- food-that- just-needs-to-be-microwaved-variety. Bobby, however, was a good cook and this was the best meal Mary had had in years.

“This is delicious, Bobby.”

“I couldn’t cook a lick before I met my wife,” he said with a bit of sadness in his voice. “I miss her every god damn day.”

“Missouri told me she was a possessed.”

“I’ll tell you my war stories when you tell me yours.”

“You got yourself a deal," Mary promised, looking at the older man.

She could tell that Bobby didn’t want to talk about his wife, just like Mary didn’t want to talk about John. The subject seemed to be taboo for the both of them. It was like a secret they weren’t quite ready to tell. Still, Mary knew that she would eventually have to relive John’s death all over again. It was the only way Bobby would know what he was facing.

After dinner was over and Dean had his fill of pie, Mary was ready to go back the motel and pay for another night. With a thank you and a promise to meet the next day, Mary walked back to the Impala. As Bobby closed the front door behind them, she placed her sleepy boys into their carseats. Driving off, she made it back to the two star hotel to pay for the privilege of sleep on the motheaten mattress.

Still, it was better than nothing — it was either the motel or sleeping in the Impala for the night. With two little boys that needed a warm bed to sleep in, the choice had been easy for Mary. So she paid for another night before putting Dean and Sam into bed. Once they were tucked in for the night, Mary took a shower before changing into her nightgown.

Throwing the covers over her slightly chilled body, she tried to get some sleep. Sleep, however, didn’t come as she lay awake. She stared at the brown, leaky ceiling for a while until her eyes slowing drifted closed. This time, instead of seeing John, her dreamscape revealed the ashes of her burned, down home. The skeleton of the foundation was still there, but everything else was gone. In the middle of the wreckage was Azazel once again. His bright yellow eyes mocking her — telling Mary that she will never be rid of him.

_“You won’t win, Mary. You’re too weak to defeat me. Do you really think that sloppy drunk of a hunter can help you? Please, he is no match for me. You might as well give up now.”_

_“Never, you’ll pay for what you did to John.”_

_“Let me tell you a little something about Johnny Boy. He wasn’t supposed to die that night. It was only thanks to Dean that it’s you standing here instead of him.”_

_“What are you talking about?" Mary asked, her voice betraying fear and anger._

_“Your son tempted fate, thanks to a little heavenly interference. He told John what would happen that night and the Angels let him remember.”_

_“That’s impossible! Dean is just a little boy! “_

_“You were supposed to be the one who walked into the nursery that night — not Johnny Boy. He was suppose to raise those boys of yours to become hunters. He would have dragged those boys down with him to the pits of hell. They would have been so defeated that they would have eventually said yes. Thanks to your boy, you get a temporary reprieve.”_

_“I don’t believe you, you’re lying," Mary shouted, wishing she could just wake up form this nightmare._

_“I might be a demon. but telling you the truth gives me more pleasure than lying to you. John would have poisoned your boys and they would have eventually bowed to their fates. You were the wildcard, Mary, but believe me, Sam will still say yes and so will his brother. Nothing has changed — Johnny Boy died for nothing.”_

_“You ‘re scared,” Mary said, seeing through the demon’s taunting._

_“Of a human? Never.”_

_“Then why have you come to me two nights in a row? You’re going out of your way to taunt me — why?”_

_“Demon; it’s what I do.”_

_“I think it’s more than that, there was a reason I was suppose to die. You wanted me out of the way and I’m going to find out why.”_

With those final words, Azazel released Mary from her dream, but the damage was already done. She had figured out that the demon was hiding something from her —something important. Azazel had given the key to defeating him, she just had to unlock it.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Mary woke up in a sweat. For two nights in a row she had a dream about Azazel. Each time Mary woke up feeling like she hadn’t gotten any sleep. Scrubbing a head over her face, she then threw off her blanket before getting up from the bed. Letting the boys sleep in for awhile, Mary went to take a shower.

Hot water washed off the sweat as Mary tried to think of reasons why Azazel kept on haunting her dreams. There were so many questioned she needed to answer and that meant calling Bobby. After getting out of the shower, Mary looked his number up in the phone and dialed it. One ring turned into four until Bobby’s gruff voice answered the phone.

“Bobby Singer is not at home, but if you leave your name…” he began, pretending to be the answering machine.

“Don’t pull that bullshit on me!!!”

“Sorry about that. I don’t normally make it a habit to answer the phone.”

“Only the ones labeled FBI and CIA, right?”

“You saw those, huh?”

“My dad used to be home base for a lot of hunters before he died. He was the one selling lies to the local law enforcement when he wasn’t hunting.  Now, it seems that you have taken over his job.”

“Someone has to do it but I don’t think you called me to talk about my illegal activities.”

“Can we meet somewhere to talk?”

“We could go to a diner or we could go to Bucksnort Junction Restaurant,” Bobby suggested.

“Bucksnort?” Mary asked with a giggle.

“Well, there is no accounting for taste, but I figured the kids might like it since it’s train themed.”

“Sam is too little to have opinions, but Dean will love it.”

“How about I met you at the motel? I can drive you and the boys there. I’ll meet you around eight o’clock?”

“That would be great,” Mary said before Sam wails filled the motel room. “See you then.”

She hung up the phone and went over to Sam’s bassinet. Taking in his little chubby hands and feet, she smiled. Sam was so much bigger than Dean had been at six months. Sam had a good appetite and would probably tower over his older brother when he got older. As she changed his diaper, a sleepy eyed Dean yawned and shuffled to the bathroom.

Mary began to feed Sam when Dean walked back into the room. Wearing his Transformer pajamas, he sat down on the bed and looked up at his mother.

“Can we do something fun today?” Dean asked, a pleading tone in his voice.

“Well, Mr. Singer invited us to have breakfast with him at a train themed restaurant.”

“Do we have to go with him? Can’t it just be you, me and Sam?”

“I’m sorry sweetie, but there is something I need to talk to him about.”

“I don’t want to go! He’s mean and I don’t like him,” Dean said, his little face becoming red with anger.

“We’ll do something just the three of us tomorrow, I promise, but this is really important.”

“Pinky swear?”

“Pinky swear,” Mary said, linking her pinky with Dean’s.

“Fine, I’ll go, but I won’t like it.”

Sighing, Mary finished feeding Sam before getting both of them dressed. With a cranky Dean on her hands, she just knew something would go wrong. After putting Sam in his pink flora cloth baby sling, Mary hustled Dean out of the door. While waiting patiently outside of the motel for, she noticed a newspaper vending machine.

Paying a quarter, she grabbed a paper. Opening it up, Mary glanced at the real estate section. As Dean played in the dirt with a couple of his hot wheels, she took note of a couple of apartments that looked like they were in her price range. She was about to turn the page when an old 1973 Metallic Blue Firebird pulled up next to them.

“Fancy a ride?” Bobby asked, an actual grin lighting up his face.

“As long as you don’t mind helping me put Sam’s carseat in the back.”

Turning off his car, Bobby got out of the car and followed Mary, who had grabbed Dean’s hand in the meantime, to her car. Looking at the Impala that John had one day bought on impulse, Bobby whistled.

“She’s a beauty.”

“John bought her. He was supposed to buy VW bus, but came home with this. I was so mad at him at the time. I would take all the words back if I have him here besides me.”

“I wish there was something I could do, but barring a crossroads deal…”

“No, I had it up to here with demons,” Mary said, raising her left hand over her head. “I could use you help though, what do you know about Azazel.”

“Not here.”

Opening the Impala’s door, Bobby got Sam’s carseat out from the back and carry it back to his car. Once they placed it inside securely, Dean sat down next to Sam. When both of the boys were settled, Mary got into the front seat as Bobby started up the car.

“Next stop, Bucksnort Junction Restaurant. You like trains don’t you Dean?” Bobby asked,  politely.

Bobby still felt a bit uncomfortable around children, but if he was going to help Mary, he would have to at least try to get along with Dean. The little boy, however, ignored Bobby as he played with his little brother in the back seat. An exasperated Mary turned her head around and said, “Mr. Singer asked you a question, Dean.”

“Sure, I guess.”

“Don’t let him fool you, he loves trains,” Mary said when she saw a bit of disappointment in Bobby’s eyes.

Although she knew that Bobby, in his own way, was trying to make any amends with Dean, unfortunately for Bobby, the four year old was as stubborn as she was. It would take time and a lot of effort on Bobby’s part to get Dean to like him.

“Mommy, do you think that this place will have mac & cheese?” he asked.

“For lunch maybe, but not for breakfast.”

“Pancakes then?”

“Sure, sweetie.”

“Awesome!!!”

Smiling at her son’s antics, Mary was about to ask Bobby questions about demons entering dreams when Dean asked, “Mommy, what’s a divine appointment?”

“It’s a special meeting with God, why?”

“Well, Casper told me he had to leave because he had a divine appointment with his dad.”

“Who’s Casper, sweetie?” Mary asked Dean again. 

“I told you before mommy, a friend.”

“I had a friend like that when I was that age," Bobby said as his smile faded. “His name was Lumbo, and he like to bake cookies with me. Most of the time though we just made a mess.”

Any trace of Bobby’s good mood disappeared, as he gazed blankly at the road in front of him. It was like the light in his eyes had switched off when Bobby mentioned his past.

“Are you sure it’s not something else?” Mary asked worriedly, which seem to snap Bobby out of his stupor.

“I’ll check on it when we get back to my house. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

That, however, didn’t make Mary feel any better about the situation. Maybe she was just being overly cautious. Like Bobby said, a lot of kids around Dean’s age had imaginary friends, but if hunting taught Mary anything it was that not everything was what it seemed. Before now, Dean had never spoken about this Casper. Since John’s death, Dean had mentioned the name twice. Perhaps this was Dean’s way of coping with the loss of his father.

“Do you think I’m being a bit paranoid about this?”

“No, I just think you’re being a good mom.”

“I’m worried about both of them. That’s one of the reasons I came here.”

Mary wished she could make things better for her boys. With Dean missing John, she realized that leaving Kansas without having a funeral for her husband hadn’t been the best decision she made. At the time, Mary had wanted to get the hell out of Dodge, but Dean should have had the chance to mourn instead of being stuck on the road in the Impala for hours.

“I know I haven’t been exactly a ball of sunshine, but I’m here to help in any way I can.”

“I appreciate that, Bobby,” Mary said, as they pulled up to a small rail-car.

“Cool,” Dean said from the back seat.

“See, I told you he would like it.”

As Bobby pulled into one of the few parking spaces left, he put the Firebird in park before turning off the engine. After getting out of the car, he lifted Sam out of his carseat while Mary took Dean’s little hand in her. Seeing the big grin on his face, Mary smiled. Despite his earlier objections, Dean was excited by the prospect of eating on a train — even if it wasn’t a moving one.

Pulling her forward a little, Dean quickly led her into the restaurant. Seeing that the rail-car was a bit crowded, Mary smile turned into a frown. This was the first time that Dean had been really excited by something since John’s Death. She just hoped they wouldn’t have to wait long to be seated.

“How many?” a young woman in a conductor’s uniform asked.

“Four,” Mary answered as Bobby sat down on a bench outside. She could see that he was bouncing Sam up and down.

“It will be a couple of minutes, we just have to clean one of the tables.”

“That’s fine,” Mary said before going outside with Dean. “Is he okay?”

“He’s just fine. Aren’t you Sammy?”

For a guy who claimed he wasn’t good with children, Bobby seemed to handling Sam just fine. He seemed content and happy to be on the older man’s lap. Smiling, _Mary sat down next to Bobby and for a moment life slowed down. Everything around her disappear — the restaurant fading into nothingness until a different landscape appeared._

_As her surroundings became clearer, Mary looked around. Instead of the bench, she was in a small nursery with bright pink walls and a small carved cradle. It was handmade with scrolls and flowers etched on the sides the headboard. Mary could tell it was made with love and care. Inside was a sleeping baby — her blondish red curls framing her chubby cheeks. She was beautiful but Mary couldn’t understand who she was — not until she heard a voice._

_“I should have known I would find you here,” Bobby said with a smile as he wrapped his arms around Mary’s waist. “Our little Daniella Hope.”_

Eyes wide with shock, Mary was about to say something when suddenly she found herself back on the bench in front of the Bucksnort Junction Restaurant.

The moment she saw was gone, and she didn’t understand what she had seen. Was it a vision or was it another trick of Azazel’s? Mary didn’t have any answers one way or another. All she knew was that she couldn’t tell Bobby about what she had seen. She would keep it to herself — for now.

Still the name Daniella Hope lingered in her mind as the hostess came outside to get them. Bringing them to their table, she handed them a couple of menus and a penny whistle for Dean.

“Your waiter will be right with you,” she said before walking away.

“So, what did you want to ask me?" Bobby asked, getting straight to the point.

“Can demons come to you in dreams?”

“There is only one demon I know of that can do that….”

“Azazel.”

“Yes, there isn’t a whole lot written in the lore about him but from what I do know he likes to taunt his victims with dreams.”

“Are they about the future?" Mary asked, a sad tone tingeing her question.

“No, usually the s.o.b. taunts you. The question is did you make a deal with him?”

“Before I married John, Azazel killed him and my family. I made a bargain with him — John’s life for a favor later on.”

“I’m going to assume that Azazel never told you what he wanted."

Mary said, her voice filled with regret. “I can’t tell you exactly what he did that night but I want nothing more than to make that bastard pay.”

"Mommy, you said another naughty word.”

"Mommy is sorry baby.”

"Can I take your order?” the waiter asked after he approached their table, stopping Bobby and Mary’s conversation about Azazel in its tracks.

“Yes, I’ll have scrambled eggs — dry with some bacon and toast. My son will have the smiley face pancakes and a glass of orange juice.”

“And you, sir?”

“I’ll have an omelet with Swiss cheese and mushrooms. I would also like some home fries, bacon, and a glass of pineapple juice," Bobby answered.

Once the waiter was gone, Mary said,”We can talk more about Azazel later where don’t have the chance of being overheard.”

“Your boy over there looks like he could use some fun. I know a place that Dean might enjoy, and we can talk.”

“Where?”

“1880 Cowboy Town, it’s not too far from here.”

“Cowboys!!!" Dean exclaimed looking up from his matchbox cars, his face lighting up with excitement. “Can we go, Mommy?”

“Of course we can, buddy,” Mary said, happy to make up for the long road trip to Dean. Maybe this little adventure would put him in a better mood. “I appreciate you thinking of Dean, Bobby.”

"It’s the least I could do. I wasn’t very nice when you three first came to my door. I figure I have a lot to make up for.”

“Bobby, there is nothing to apologize for. I understand, really I do. If I were in your place, I wouldn’t have been very welcoming either.”

“So you said you were thinking of staying?”

Noticing the uncomfortable look on the older man’s face, Mary smiled.

She knew he was steering the conversation away before she could mention Karen. There was still an expression of grief in his kind blue eyes. There was more to his past, and Mary wasn’t about to go digging. When Bobby wanted to tell her his story, he would. She might had only met this man a day ago, but she felt a connection with Bobby. Something inside Mary whispered promises she wasn’t ready for. What mattered in the moment was she had a friend and a brilliant hunter who knew his lore back ways and forwards.

Mary had never met anyway like Bobby before. Most hunters learned on the job. Although they normally kept journals on their cases, they never sought information the way Bobby did. In another life, Mary could imagine Bobby has a professor of mythology or philosophy.

Life, however, had other plans for this man, and she wished that things had been different for them. Being a hunter was a death sentence that no one deserved. If a hunter was lucky enough they lasted several years before something particularly ugly got a hold of them. Still, to save lives it always felt worth it.

“Yes, I can’t in good conscience go back to hunting — not with the boys. They deserve the normal life I never got as a kid.”

“There haven’t been many instances of demons or monsters hunting here. Sioux Falls is a pretty quiet town, supernatural-wise. We have good schools and decent real estate. If it’s an apartment or house you’re looking for, the prices around here are reasonable.”

“I have some money saved up, and I have some money coming from the military and John’s life insurance.”

“John served?”

“Yes, he was a Marine during the Vietnam War," Mary said as the waiter came by with their food. As he placed their plates in front of them, Mary looked up to find a wistful look on Bobby’s face.

“I was a Marine myself. I was a right sight in uniform, and Karen loved to see me in it. God, I missed her ever day while I was stationed in Vietnam.”

Placing her hand on top of his, Mary held it for a moment. Her face said everything. The pain — the regret of losing one’s spouse, she lived it and it was the one thing Mary wished she didn’t have in common with Bobby. Karen and John should still be here sitting beside them. They didn’t deserve their fate, but here they were, two widowers trying their best to live life the best they could.

Covering her hand with his other one, Bobby gave her a tight smile. They sat there for a moment until Dean pointed at his food and asked, “Can you help me with my pancakes, Mommy.”

As she cut them up into little pieces, Dean grabbed a piece of toast from her plate and ate it with gusto. He munched on it as he waited for his breakfast to cool down. Despite his earlier complaints, Dean had been as good as gold. He might have not warmed up to Bobby yet, but he had been on his best behavior. He had more than earned a trip to 1880 Cowboy Town.

“So what is this little Cowboy Town of yours like?”

“It’s a little kitschy, but I think Dean will like it. It’s an old western town with animatronic cowboys.”

“Do they have real cowboys there?”

“Sure do, son. They have a gun draw every afternoon and a reenactment of a bank robbery.”

“What’s a reenactment?” Dean asked, mispronouncing the word a little.

“It’s when people act like they are from the Old West and pretend to do things the people of that time did.”

“Oh boy,” he said before attacking his pancakes with his fork.

As he ate, Mary pulled out the newspaper she had gotten that morning. Opening it to the real estate section, she pointed to an ad for a housing community that just finished being built. It was a bit fancy for her taste, but it had all the complex amenities and the asking price for each house seemed to be decent. Although it wasn’t too far from Bobby’s house, Mary didn’t really know the area and she wanted to know everything she could about the school district.

“What do you know about the schools around here?”

“Like I said before, there are decent schools in Sioux Falls, but that district has the best elementary in the area. There are a couple of houses on sale near me if you want to look at a couple. They would be in the same school district and not as fancy. “

“I’m going to look at a couple of places tomorrow. I could use a bit of advice. If you’re not busy. would you mind coming along with me?”

“I have a bit of research to do, but I have sometime tomorrow afternoon.”

“Perfect. In the meantime, I have to get out of the motel I’m staying in,” Mary said thinking about the roach she found scurrying along the bathroom sink.

"You can stay at my house if you would like. I have a couple of guest rooms you and the boys can stay in until you find a place.

“Are you sure? You hardly know us.”

“I’m sure. You seem like good people and the motel here is not the best of places.”

“Thank you Bobby, I appreciate it.”

“It’s not a problem, really. It will be nice to have people in the house again," he said, a red blush tinting his face.

“I’ll get our stuff tonight after our cowboy adventure. We were on the road for too long, and the boys deserve a little bit of fun.”

Once their breakfast was finished and their bill was paid, they headed back to Bobby’s Firebird. Everyone got into the car. Pulling out of the parking lot, Bobby got back on the interstate. Heading west, they made their way to the tourist attraction. After a thirty minute drive, they finally arrived at 1880 Cowboy Town.

Eager to check out the town, Dean hopped out of the car and was about to run towards it when Mary said, “Stop right there mister! I know you’re excited, but you can’t just run off like that. You know better than that.“

“Sorry, Mommy. Can we go inside, please?”

“Let me get Sam situated first,” Mary said, digging out the baby sling from the back seat. “Would you mind wearing Sam for me so I can keep Dean out of trouble?”

Bobby looked at the cloth, pink floral monstrosity in Mary’s hand before reluctantly agreeing to wear it. When she had it properly strapped around the older man, she placed Sam in the sling. Sure that he was secure, Mary grabbed Dean’s little hand while Bobby brought up the rear. As he caught up with Mary, she saw Bobby look down at the little boy. Intrigued by the older man, Sam gave him a slightly gummy smile showing off his two front teeth.

“Are you a cute little feller?” Bobby asked, his voice soft and endearing.

“He likes you.”

Although he didn’t seem to want to admit it, Mary could tell that Bobby liked Sam, too. No matter what he said, she could tell that Bobby had a soft spot for children. He might not feel comfortable around them just yet, but Mary knew that he was warming up to Sam and Dean already. It was only a matter of time before they wormed their way into Bobby’s heart.

Smiling to herself, she walked hand and hand with Dean to the entrance to 1880 Cowboy Town. Eyes lighting up like Christmas trees, he tugged Mary’s hand as he practically dragged her the rest of the way. A little way off the interstate, the only people populating the small looking ghost town were a couple of actors serving as tour guides.

Deciding that didn’t need one, Mary paid the small admission fee for herself, Bobby, and the boys. Standing side by side with the older man, they walked inside. Seeing that the actors were keeping to themselves, Mary realized it was safe enough to continue their conversation about Azazel.

“In the diner you said that Azazel can come to you in your dreams?”

“From what I gathered, he has some sort of a connection with certain people. I don’t know what causes the bond, but he uses it to torment his victims. I’m guessing that he’s been coming to you in dreams. “

“Yes, he likes to tell me that John’s death is my fault,” Mary said as they walked over to the saloon.

“You are not to blame, Mary.”

“But I am. If it wasn’t for the deal I made with Azazel, this would have never happened.”

"If you hadn’t, John would still be gone and you wouldn’t have these two little boys. Tell me, Mary, can you imagine your life without Sam and Dean?” Bobby asked, as Dean let go of Mary’s hand to look at the animatronic cowboys playing poker.

“No, they’re my whole world.”

“Then you did the right thing.”

“I wish I could believe that,” Mary said as she watched Dean closely. “The truth is I’m scared that Azazel will move on from me and onto my boys. I want him dead.”

“That’s easier said than done.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I came up with a big old goose egg — nothing in the lore describes a way to kill old Yellow Eyes. The only thing that could is a thing that doesn’t exist”

“And what might that be?”

“The Colt. According to the legend, it was created by a hunter named Samuel Colt. Anything shot by it using the original bullets that Samuel made will die.”

“Samuel?" Mary pondered looking over at her little one. “That can’t be just a coincidence. Maybe we are supposed to find the Colt and kill that yellow-eyed bastard. “

“Or there is no Colt and your daddy was named after the legendary hunter. I know a lot of hunters that used the name — that doesn’t mean they have some sort of destiny.”

“Let’s just say that it’s real. How do we find it?”

“We don’t because it’s not real,” said an exasperated Bobby. “But if it was, Daniel Elkins would know where it is.”

“Who?”

“Daniel Elkins. He collects old antiques. He knows anything and everything about Samuel and the Colt.”

“Where does he live?”

“Manning, Colorado, but I could call him tonight if you would like.”

“Howdy, partner,” the animatronic cowboy interrupted as he greeted Dean who had pressed his button.

“Cool,” Dean said gleefully. He then sat on one of the barstools and started to spin round on it.

“Don’t do that sweetie, you might break it.”

“Can I help you folks?” asked one of the tour directions as she walked into the saloon wearing a heavy period dress and a bonnet.

“No, we were just looking around," Mary said, as Dean got off the stool. A bit spooked, he grabbed his mother’s hand tightly as if sensing there was something wrong with the tour guide.

“Please refrain from touching anything. You wouldn’t want for the little dear to get hurt, or maybe you would,” the grinning women said as her eyes began to glow yellow. “You want to get rid of him just as much as you want to get rid of his daddy.”

“Azazel! Dean, run!!!”

Listening to his mother, Dean fled the saloon. Bobby was about to follow him when the door slammed shut right in front of him.

“You’re not going anywhere, old man," the woman snarled. “You have bad taste when it comes to men, Mary Winchester. Did he tell you what happened to Karen?”

“Shut up!” Bobby shouted, as he gently covered little Sam’s ears before turning his back away from the demon. “You know nothing about me!”

“I know more than you think, Bobby Singer. You humans and your secrets, but I think Mary has to know what kind of man you are. She should know how you took a knife out of the butcher’s block and stabbed her to death. You murdered her just like you murdered your daddy.” 

The possessed woman circled them, a malicious smile on her face. Azazel was enjoying this — enjoying the power he had over these pathetic humans. With just a couple of words he could cause them such pain and heartache. He knew what lay in their hearts, and it was time to set the truth free.

Mary, on the other hand, just wanted to kill this bastard. He had hurt too many people and he deserved to be ganked. Except, Bobby said there was no way to defeat him — the Colt was just a myth, and even if it wasn’t, the gun was still in Colorado. As the demon continued to taunt them, she saw a tear slip down Bobby’s face.

“Did you know that not only did he kill her, but the child she was carrying?” Azazel mocked.

“You’re lying!”

“My dear Bobby, why would I lie? Karen was going to tell you that night, but you told her that you didn’t want children, so Karen decided that you needed some time. She never did, did she? Karen got possessed before she could tell you the good news. Your son would have been beautiful,” Azazel said with a smirk. “He would have been Dean’s age if you hadn’t been so quick to get a knife.

Bobby’s face turned pale as he stood there, his nails digging into his palm. Mary could tell the man had his regrets, but at the time he didn’t have a choice. At the time, Bobby knew nothing about exorcism. Mary wanted to tell him that it wasn’t his fault. That he had been facing a no-win situation when it came to Karen. Mary, however, could tell that wasn’t what Bobby wanted to hear right now.

“Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus…" Mary began to chant loudly and unflinchingly.

“We’ll meet again, Mary Winchester," Azazel said before the body he was using went limp.

“Come on Bobby, let’s go.”

“What happened?" the tour guide asked as Mary and Bobby walked past her and out of the saloon.

Outside, Dean was waiting for them. “Mommy are you okay?”

“I’m fine, sweetie,” Mary said reassuring her little boy. “Everything is okay.”

Wrapping her arms around Dean, she hugged him tightly. What should’ve been turned into a fun adventure for her son had turned into a nightmare. Dean had been looking forward to visiting 1880 Cowboy Town, and Azazel had ruined everything. Why couldn’t the demon leave them alone? What was she so important to him? Mary wanted answers, but she also knew that she might never get them.

“Can we go home, Mommy?”

As soon as the question left Dan’s lips, Mary knew he wasn’t talking about the motel they had stayed in for the past two nights. He was talking about Kansas. There, however, was nothing left for them there. Yet, for Dean it was still a place of comfort.

“How about we go over Mr. Singer’s house instead?”

“Okay, Mommy,” Dean said sounding unsure and a little frightened.

Mumbling a curse at herself, Mary sighed and reluctantly pulled away from Dean. She had tried so hard to keep her boys away from the supernatural and unfortunately, it had found them. Mary wanted nothing more than for the Colt to be real. If it was, she had to get it so she could end Azazel’s life. Turning towards Bobby, she saw the pale look on his face. She desperately wanted to tell him that everything Azazel said was a lie, but it wasn’t.

Wanting to comfort the man, she was about to go over to him when little Sam wrapped his chubby little hand around Bobby’s finger. He burbled for a second as if to tell Bobby that everything was going to be okay before giggling a bit. She had to wonder why Sam seemed unaffected by Azazel for a second — then she remembered what Bobby had done. The older man facing the demon’s verbals assaults had protected Sam from Yellow Eyes.

“Are you going to be okay?” she asked worriedly.

“No, I’m not. I’m going to kill that son of a bitch.”

“Not if I get to him first.”

“I didn’t know, Mary — I didn’t know that she was pregnant.”

“Does that change anything?”

“No, it doesn’t, I loved my wife but she wasn’t Karen anymore.”

“You did what you had to do," she said, pulling Bobby into her arms.

“Doesn’t mean that I’ll ever forgive myself for what I did.”

“We never do — not for the loss of the ones we could have saved.”

“Let’s go home. I could use a drink,” Bobby said, as he pulled away from Mary.

Walking back to the car, Sam began to fuss a little. After Mary fed him, they got back on the interstate and went back to the motel.


	3. Chapter 3

Gathering up their belongings, she paid the motel clerk and checked out. When she was done, Mary went back to Bobby’s Firebird and got inside. Silence filled the rest of the drive as they both licked their wounds. Azazel’s words had gotten to them and they didn't know how to move on from this — his taunts had hit a nerve for the both of them. 

Once they got Bobby’s house, they were both too tired to talk. Mary knew they would eventually need to have a conversation just to clear the air. Now that Azazel had aired all their dirty secrets, it was time to lay all of their cards on the table. What Mary told Bobby was true — she believed him about Karen. She knew that if he could turn back the hands of time Bobby would just to have his wife back.

Azazel had known the older man’s most vulnerable spot and hit him where it hurt the most. He had left them wounded but Mary knew they could rally back and kill the bastard — they just needed time. Unfortunately, it was something they couldn’t afford.

For now, what Mary needed more than anything was some sleep. Two nights — two different dreams had left her perpetually tired. What she wanted more than anything was a peaceful night devoid of any dreams. Laying her head on the soft pillow Bobby had given her, Mary tried to close her eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come. So she just stared blankly at the ceiling above her wondering this what how things was suppose to be.

At almost twenty-five years old she was a widow, a former hunter, and a mother — Mary had to believe that there was more than this. Yet she began to wonder if she truly deserved the shit that was coming her way. She had made her bed when it came to making a deal with Azazel and now she had to lie in it. Mary just wished that the people in her life didn’t have to pay for her mistakes.

Thoughts plagued her head until finally the voices quieted and she drifted off to sleep. For the first time in two days, the dreams didn’t come. Instead, Mary slept fitfully — waking up almost everyone hour until Sam’s cries came from across the hall. Sitting in an old rocking chair Bobby had placed in the guest room the night before, Mary rocked back and forth as a content Sam drank his fill of breast milk.

Sam’s eyes began to close as Bobby shuffled into the room. Truck hat in hand, his fingers ran along the brim as he looked down at the ground. She could tell that he was still ashamed about what Azazel had revealed about Karen. “I talked to Daniel Elkins this morning about the Colt.”

“Does it exist?" she asked eagerly.

“Yes. According to Daniel, it has been in his family for generations.”

“Will he let us have it?”

“Only to borrow. We have to give the Colt back when we’re finished with it. I know I promised you that I would help you look for a place, but I have to go to Colorado before Daniel changes his mind.”

“We can look when you come back,” Mary promised. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Bobby lied.

“No, you’re not, and I don’t expect you to be. Azazel did a number on you.”

“I can’t help thinking what they would have been like. If I would have been a good father.”

“I saw what you were like with Sam. You would have been a great dad.”

“The last night before Karen got possessed, I told her I didn’t want children. My daddy wasn’t a good man. He drank too much and liked to use his fists, I feared becoming like him when I got older. Hell, I’m already half there. I’m thirty-five and a functioning alcoholic who spends too much time in a bottle. I spend my days alone and my nights researching for hunters who might die if I give them the wrong answer," Bobby admitted. “Azazel told me a lot of truths that I didn’t want to hear.”

“Unfortunately, that seems to be his MO.”

“I don’t want another family to go through that. I loved my Karen, and I know that I would have loved our child. Thanks to demons like Azazel, I’ll never know what could have been. They took her away from me, and I want to make them all pay for what they have done.”

“Go get the Colt. I’ll be here when you get back and together we will kill that bastard.”

With a tight smile, Bobby nodded his head in agreement and then left the guest room. When he was gone, Mary put a very sleepy Sam back into his bassinet before checking on Dean. Opening the door a crack, she peeked into the room to find her oldest still asleep. After closing it, she crept back to her room and sat down on the bed. Thinking that she would try to actually get some sleep, Mary laid back down and closed her eyes.

_ “You must be Mary Winchester. My Bobby seems to like you,” said a pretty, petite blond woman with a smile. _

_ “Karen?” _

_ “Yes, we need to talk and it must be quick — they didn’t give me much time.” _

_ “They who?" asked a very curious Mary. _

_ “The Angels. When Azazel told Bobby about our child, he gave me no other choice but to escape Heaven. I came to pass a message onto Bobby, but it’s only a matter of time until they find me.” _

_ “What do you need me to tell him? _

_ “Nothing that happened was his fault but Azazel lied. I didn’t take a pregnancy test the night of our fight. I only found out we were going to have a baby the night before I got possessed.” _

_ “The demon didn’t use your pregnancy against him?" she asked surprised the agents of Hell wouldn’t use that type of information for their own benefit. _

_ “I fought it as hard as I could — I wouldn’t let it hurt Bobby in such a way. At the time he didn’t know anything about demons or being a hunter — he had no other choice.” _

_ “I told him as much.” _

_ “Bobby is a good man, but he is stubborn. He is always going to believe it was his fault, so tell him that I forgive him.” _

_ “I will, I promise.” _

_ “You are a good woman, Mary Winchester. My Bobby is lucky to have you and the boys in his life.” _

_ “I’m glad Missouri told me about him," Mary admitted. _

_ “I have one more piece of advice before I leave. Give love a chance — slow and steady wins the race," Karen said with a mischievous smile before disappearing. _

Eyes popping open, Mary looked around the room, but no one was there. It left her to wonder if the conversation had happened in the first place. Throwing back the covers, Mary slipped her feet in a pair of bunny rabbit slippers and went into the kitchen to cook breakfast. After making barely passable eggs, some bacon, and a couple of pieces of burnt toast, Mary went to wake Dean up.

Rubbing his eyes, Dean yawned as Mary sat down next to him on the bed. Yesterday was supposed to be a day filled with her oldest son but it had turned it an utter disaster. She was glad that Dean had gotten out of the saloon before anything truly awful could happen to him but Mary had to make sure that he hadn’t seen anything.

“What did you think of our little adventure?”

“I loved all the cowboy stuff, Mommy but that creepy lady ruined it.”

“Did you hear anything she said?" Mary asked worriedly.

“No, Mommy. I ran like you told me to.”

“You were such a good boy, Dean.”

“I’m sorry I made that lady so mad.”

“It wasn’t your fault, baby," Mary said as she gave Dean a hug. “Come on, I made you breakfast.

With a smile, Dean unwrapped himself from his mother and hopped out of the bed. Running as fast as his little feet would let him, Dean went into the kitchen. Digging in, he began to eat eagerly, making Mary feel good about her barely-there cooking skills. As Dean munched away on his pancakes, Mary went to get Sam before coming back into the kitchen. She was about to grab a plate of good when Bobby’s main phone line rang.

“Hello, Singer residence,” she answered.

“Mary, it’s Bobby. I’ve made it to Colorado, but Daniel doesn’t seem to be home.”

“Did you go inside?”

“Not yet, I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Seems like he’s not a man of his word," Bobby said, crouched down in the tiny phone booth down the block from Daniel’s house.

“Time for the little breaking and entering. Let me know when you have the Colt.”

“10-4,” he said before hanging up.

The house remained quiet for a couple of seconds, long enough for Mary to actually finish her breakfast. As Sam sat in his high chair chewing on his stuffed bunny, Dean helped Mary clean their dishes in the sink. They were almost done when one of phones rang again. Instead of being Bobby’s main line, the one labeled FBI rang this time.

Knowing this meant that a hunter had run into a bit of trouble, she panicked before looking around Bobby’s messy desk to find information on the older man’s fake FBI persona. Finding a business card, with the FBI emblem on it, Mary smirked at the name on it, but picking up the phone.

“Director Mercury’s office, how may I help you,” she asked politely in a fake perky voice.

“I need to talk to him about one of his agents, a man named Lionel Richie.”

“I’m sorry but the Director is out of the office at the moment, may I take a message?”

“No, I just need to know if he’s one of yours.”

“”Yes, Lionel Richie is one of our best agents," Mary lied, rolling her eyes at the name. “He will be an assist to your investigation.”

“Thank you for you time, ma’am. Please have the Director call me when he gets back,"   the officer said before hanging up.

“Asshole!”

After placing the phone back on its cradle, Mary went into the kitchen and began to dry the dishes. Wiping them down with a clean towel, Mary wondered what was taking Bobby so long. As the minutes ticked by, she knew that Bobby should have called back by now. Could Daniel have caught the older man trying to break in the house? Worried, Mary kept on glancing at the phone — hoping that it would ring. Yet it never did, leaving Mary to fear the worst.

It wasn’t until a couple of hours later that Bobby’s house line rang again. Jumping up from the couch where she had been reading to Dean and Sam, Mary picked up the phone.

“Bobby, where the hell have you been?”

“I ran into a couple of vampires,” an out of breath Bobby said. “After I broke in through the window, I found Daniel dead on the ground. The house looked like it had been ransacked. I was about to look for the Colt when I was so rudely interrupted. They didn’t stand a chance. Bobby — one; Vampires — zero.”

“I’m glad you’re okay. Did you get the Colt?" Mary asked, frightened that the monsters has taken it.

“Yes, it seems that idjits came here to look for it, but they were unable to crack the safe.”

“What do vampires want with the Colt?”

“I think Azazel knew of its existence. He probably hired a couple of them to kill Daniel and retrieve the Colt for him. Thankfully, I got to it first.”

“Be careful, Bobby. I doubt that’s the only trick that Azazel has up his sleeves. If he knows about the Colt then he’s running scared. He’ll do anything to get his hands on it," Mary said worriedly.

“I know, we have to be smart about this. I should be back in South Dakota by tomorrow at the latest.”

“See you then," Mary said before hanging up the phone.

It was a ten hour drive between Colorado and South Dakota, Mary decided they needed to come up with a plan, one that would catch Azazel by surprise. While Sam was sleeping and Dean was in the guest room playing, Mary went into Bobby’s den. Glancing at his bookcase, she scanned a couple of the spines and found a lot of books in his collection that might help.

After placing them on Bobby’s messy desk, Mary sat down and started to look through them. Unfortunately, there wasn’t that much information when it came to the Yellow Eyed Demon. The Colt, however, was a different story. Most of the lore behind the weapon was deemed a myth, but all the books had one thing in common. They all agreed with what Bobby had told her: the gun was able to kill anything as long as it was with the thirteen original bullets that Samuel Colt had made.

The only problem was luring Azazel out from wherever he was hiding. Mary knew the demon was too smart to fall for any trap they might set for him. She couldn’t help but think they were in a hopeless situation. Not only did they need the Colt but they still had to find a way to get close to Azazel. Perhaps she could use their bond in order to get the revenge Mary so desperately sought. Maybe once he was gone, Mary could truly mourn for the man she loved.

As the day went on, Mary put away all of Bobby’s books and she tried to forget her problems for a while. Taking Sam and Dean to the park, Mary played with them for a while. Reconnecting after the last couple days of shit felt good. It reminded Mary what she was fighting for — her family. She would do anything to protect them, including using her bond with Azazel to lure him out.

Mary knew that she might die in her quest for vengeance, but she needed to do this. As the sun began to set, Mary went back to the house. After feeding the boys, she put them to bed. That night she closed her eyes, hoping that she would see Azazel in her dreams this time. Mary needed to spring her trap and soon. She felt that time was running out and that if she didn’t do this, Azazel would hurt another family.

_ Instead of appearing, a voice whispered to her, “I know what you are planning, Mary Winchester. You won’t win.” _

Waking up, Mary knew that they might have already lost the battle. Everything seemed lost in that moment. They might have the Colt but they had nothing to point it at. There was no way that Azazel would come out of hiding — unless she could come up with another plan. It was obvious that Mary’s plan of using their bond hadn’t worked.

She needed to look at the situation with fresh eyes. When Bobby came back from Colorado, Mary would talk it over with him.

_ “I know everything you do,” a voice inside her head said. “Your bond with me gives everything away. That’s why you will never defeat me.” _

_ “You bastard. I will kill you!” _

_ “Not if you don’t catch me first. We made a deal, and you broke it that night John died. Our transaction was incomplete. You still owe me.” _

_ “I owe you nothing.” _

_ “Oh, but you do, and I always get what I want.” _

_ “Not this time.” _

As a stray ray of sunshine reflected off the window, the voice disappeared. Getting out of the bed, Mary went into the bathroom and took a shower. With the hot water cascading down her body, Mary began to think of ways to sever her bond with Azazel. Mary was about to wash her hair when she heard the front door open. It seemed that Bobby was finally home. After finishing up in the bathroom, Mary got dressed and went to find the older man.

Hearing a baritone voice singing in Sam’s room, Mary listened to Bobby’s lullaby for a moment before going inside. Looking at the older man, Mary wondered if she should tell him about Karen first or if she should start off with telling Bobby about what happened with Azazel.

“Is everything okay?” She asked watched Bobby rock Sam back and forth.

“He started to cry while you were in the shower.”

“He must be hungry. Thank you for getting him for me," Mary said as she took Sam from Bobby.

“No problem.”

“Do you run into any trouble on your way back?”

“I did run into any vampires if that’s what you mean. Do anything happen while I was gone?”

“I don’t even know where to start," Mary said as she sat down and started to feed Sam.

“From the beginning,” Bobby offered.

“Last night, I saw Azazel again. He definitely knows about the Colt. I fear that he has gone into hiding and he won’t be coming out any time soon.”

“So we’ll just summon him. Demons can’t ignore being summoned and I already have a Devil’s Trap in my basement.”

“Bobby, you’re a genius! Do you think it will work?”

“I don’t see why it wouldn’t. I’ve used them before, and they haven’t been able to escape the Devil’s Trap yet.”

“That’s a relief," Mary said, as the tension left her shoulders. “There is something else I have to tell you.”

“You answered one of my phones, I know. Jim called me this morning before Sam started to cry. I don’t know what you said, but he thanks you for the assist. He was able to bag a wendigo without adding another arrest to his rap sheet.”

“It’s not about that. Lately, I’ve been having these strange dreams and premonitions —  I’m not sure if this was one of them, but last night your wife came to visit me.”

“Are you sure it was her and not Azazel playing one of his tricks?”

“Why would he bother? This wasn’t the taunting he’s so fond of — besides why would he come to me twice? No, this was a message from Karen. She escaped Heaven just to give it to you.”

“What did she say?" he asked, the fear evident in his voice.

“She doesn’t blame you for what happened.”

“My Karen always did forgive a bit too quickly. It doesn’t change the fact that I killed her.”

“No, it doesn’t, but she knew that you didn’t have any other choice. She also told me that Azazel lied.”

“About what?”

“Karen didn’t know about the baby the night of your fight. She didn’t find out that she was pregnant until the day before she was possessed.”

“So the demon lied, Karen didn’t keep it from me because she thought I would be a bad father.”

“You wouldn’t have been," Mary said, handing Sam over to the older man. “You’ve been doing really well with Sam and I can tell you’ve been trying with Dean.”

“They’re good boys, but they aren’t mine. I break everything I touch and that included my family. “

“Bobby…”

“I’ll be okay, I promise. Now about Azazel…" Bobby said trying to change the subject. “We need to find the exact spell for summoning a powerful demon like Azazel.”

“It’s not in your library?”

“No, it’s one of the few books that I don’t have. I only had a couple for low level and crossroads demons. The book we’re looking for would be a rare find. Lucky for us, I know a dealer in antiquities — she might be able to help us.”

“We need that book.”

“I’ll call Calliope and see what she knows. Hopefully, she’ll be able to give us a lead on the summoning book we need.”

After handing Bobby a burping cloth, he began to burp Sam before going downstairs to call Calliope. While he was taking care of the baby, Mary went to go get Dean. Along with trying to get the book, it was time to find their own place. As much as Mary liked staying a Bobby’s house, they needed their own space. She also needed to find a job or start her own business. With Sam still being so young, she wanted to be able to stay home with him.

Even when John was still alive, Mary had been thinking of starting a daycare business. It would have brought some extra money in the household and Mary was looking forward to started her own venture. Planning not only starting her own business but going to a couple of college night classes, Mary had approached her husband with the idea. Instead of agreeing outright to Mary’s plans for the future, John told her he would think about it. Unfortunately, he had died before making a decision one or another, but Mary had a feeling he would have said no to the night classes. Not because he didn’t want Mary to go, but money was tight.

With John’s job as a mechanic, they had been barely able to scrape by. They could have taken out a loan but they were already paying off the mortgage of their house. They had already been in debt up to their eyeballs, but Mary knew that John would have welcomed the extra income. Now that her husband was gone, Mary still had the same dilemma.

Including the life insurance, the insurance on the house in Kansas, and John’s military benefits, Mary only could afford a decently priced home. She didn’t have enough to take a couple of college courses in business, but she could find a house that had enough square footage and land to start her daycare center. If Bobby could have a business and still hunt, so could she.

Although she wasn’t eager to go back into the Family Business, Mary figured she could help Bobby on the research and phone aspect of being hunter. If she decided to do this, it was on her own terms of course. Mary would only help sometimes, and she wasn’t up for any all nighters. Not with a six month old to take care of.

Knocking on Dean’s door, Mary thought she might be getting a little ahead of herself. They still had to get rid of Azazel — not the easiest task. If they were able to kill him without dying, then Mary could revisit her plans for the future. She couldn’t be counting her chickens before they were hatched.

With a sigh, Mary opened the door to find her little boy still sleep. Usually, Dean was an earlier riser, but it seemed the day at the park had tired him out. Sitting on the bed, Mary gentle placed a kiss on Dean’s forehead before brilliant green eyes popped open. Dean felt like he was burning up and being new to Sioux Falls, Mary didn’t know of any good pediatricians in town.

“Mommy, I’m not feeling good,” he complained.

“I know, baby.

As Dean shook from the chills, Mary wondered if this was Azazel’s doing. Dean had been fine yesterday and rarely got sick. Now he was as pale as a ghost a burning up with a fever. Scooping Dean up into her arms, Mary went downstairs where Bobby was still taking to Calliope as Sam sat in his high chair. Seeing the look on Mary’s face, he said a quick good-bye and hung up the phone.

“What’s wrong?” he asked worriedly.

“Dean is burning up.”

“We should take him to the hospital, it’s not too far from here," he said before grabbing her keys to the Impala. “Do you want me to drive?”

“Yes,” she answered, too worried about Dean to even think about anything else.

After Bobby lifted Sam out of his high chair,  they headed to the Impala. When everyone was inside, Bobby started to drive as fast as he legally could to the hospital. As Dean laid in her arms, Mary prayed that everything would be okay.

“Do you think this might have been Azazel?" Bobby asked, voicing the question that had been plague Mary’s mind.

“I don’t know. Dean’s never been really sick before. He could have just caught something at the playground yesterday.”

“He’ll be fine Mary, I promise," he said as they drove into the parking lot of the hospital.

Once Mary and Dean were brought into the emergency room, Bobby waited in the waiting room with Sam. As they poked and prodded Dean, Mary was in a constant state of worry. It seemed like hours ticked by then a doctor finally came into their room.

“Is everything okay, doctor?”

“No, Dean is going to need to have his appendix taken out,” the doctor said looking over the little boy’s test results. " I would like to get him into surgery immediately.”

“Just do whatever you need to do in order to make my little boy feel better," Mary said, signing the consent papers that the doctor handed over to her.

After Dean was wheeled into the operating room, Mary was brought into a little waiting room. There Bobby was playing peek-a-boo with Sam. Looking up to see Mary, he gave her a tight smile as she went over to sit next to him. Taking her hand in his, Bobby tried to give his friend some emotional support.

“Everything will be okay.”

“I know it’s a routine operation, but I can’t help but worry about him.”

“At least we know this wasn’t the work of Azazel.”

“No, it wasn’t. Thankfully, we got him here in time before his appendix burst.”

“I had my appendix out around Dean’s age, he’ll be fine.”

“I hope so. Did Calliope tell you anything about the book we’re looking for?” Mary asked, trying to keep her mind off what was going on in the operating room.

“She knows a couple of collectors that might have it, but so far things aren’t looking too good. When have a one in a million chance of finding a book that summons powerful demons like Azazel.”

“We have to find it Bobby!”

“I know, if anyone can it would be Calliope.”

“I hope you’re right," Mary said as Sam began to cry. “Can you get me a couple of things from the house? I have a feeling we’ll be here for awhile.”

“Sure.”

Once he was gone, Mary held Sam close to her chest. Although she had tried to feed him, Sam hadn’t been hungry. It seemed that he was just missing his older brother. He might be little, but he loved Dean and could sense when things were wrong. So Mary sat there comforting Sam as the doctors continued to work on Dean.

After Bobby had come back with a Sam diaper bag, a couple of toys, and his teething ring, the doctor came by to tell Mary that the surgery had gone smoothly. With Dean in a sterile room recuperating, Sam wouldn’t be allowed inside. Instead Bobby would have to take the little boy home while Mary waited until Dean woke up from the anesthesia.

“Are you sure you don’t mind?" she asked, worried. Bobby had never signed up for this, but right now, he was the only one she could rely on.

“I’m sure, we’ll be fine.”

“Thank you Bobby, for everything.”

“It’s not a problem, really.”

“I’m glad Missouri was right about you. You might be grumpy on the outside, but you’re a soft marshmallow on the inside. You took us in when you didn’t have to, and you’re helping me with my boys. I really appreciate it, truly. Once we defeat Azazel I promise we’ll be out of your hair.”

“What if I don’t want you to?" Bobby asked. “Like I said before, I kind of like having you guys around. You’re the first true friend I’ve had besides Rufus, and he can be a gigantic pain in my ass sometimes.”

“And I’m not?”

“No, you’re not. I like you, Mary Winchester. Okay, maybe more than like. This is not some kind of love at first sight bullshit because I don’t fucking believe in that. I would be an idjit if I did. But I wouldn’t be opposed to having a date with a kickass woman such as yourself. Hell, I’m probably not even doing this right nor do I think you’re looking to date anyone any time soon, but you make me feel things I haven’t felt since Karen.”

“That’s sweet, Bobby, but you’re right, I’m not ready.”

“I’ll be here if you’re ever ready. That’s if you ever want a grumpy old man like me,” he said with a timid smile.

Not waiting for an answer from Mary, Bobby took Sam in his arms, and he left the waiting room. Meanwhile, Mary was led to Dean's room where he was sleeping. Taking his little hand in hers, she waited for her baby to wake up. After an hour or two, Dean finally woke. He seemed to be a bit groggy for a moment before his green eyes focused on his mother.

“My tummy hurts. Where am I?" he asked sleepily.

“You’re in the hospital baby. You had to have your appendix taken out.”

“Will I needed another one?” Dean asked worriedly.

“No, honey you won’t. It’s not something we need in order to live.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m quite sure,” Mary said with a laugh.

“Do I have to be here? Can’t we go back to Mr. Singer’s house?”

“No, you have to stay here at the hospital for a couple of days, then we can go back to Bobby’s house. After that we can find a place of our own, would you like that?”

“I don’t know, I kind it like at Mr. Singer’s house. He likes cowboys  and he’s kind of cool for an old guy.”

“We won’t be moving too far from him, promise.”

“Are you going to stay here with me, Mommy?” Dean asked.

“I wish I could, sweetie, but the doctors won’t let me.”

“How long will I be here for?"

“A couple of days. I will be here tomorrow, but I plan on staying until visiting hours are over.”

She stayed until the nurses shooed her out of Dean’s room before going to Bobby’s house. Once there, Bobby handed her Sam so she could feed him. Once Mary played with him for a while and then bathed him, he fell asleep. As he snored lightly in his bassinet, she went downstairs to the den. Stepping inside, she saw Bobby at his desk talking on the phone. Looking up, he smiled as she went to sit down on the couch. Hoping this was a sign that Calliope had found the book they were looking for, Mary patiently waited for Bobby to finish his conversation with the antiques dealer.

It seemed like hours passed by until Bobby finally said, “That’s great news,” before hanging up the phone.

Putting away the book Mary had picked up while Bobby was talking, she looked over at the older man expectantly.

“Did she find it?”

“She had to call in a couple of favors, but she found a collector in Greece who is willing to hand it over for a price.”

“How much?”

“Nothing, I can’t afford. Being the only scrap metal dealer in town is lucrative," Bobby said, wallet full of cash.

“Let’s get ourselves a book.”

“Calliope will be meeting us here tonight. She’ll give us the book in exchange for the cash. By this time tomorrow night, Azazel will be gone,” Bobby said.

“I hope you’re right,” Mary said, sending up a prayer to a god she didn’t believe in.

That night, Bobby and Mary began to plan. They might have the Colt, but they had to consider every option before going into battle. Going over every possible scenario, they tried to think of everything so Azazel wouldn’t catch them by surprise. It was almost midnight when there was knock on Bobby’s front door.

After handing over one of his shotguns to Mary, Bobby grabbed his rifle and looked through his peephole. Seeing Calliope on the other side, the older man unlocked all of his deadbolts and let the antiques dealer in. She was younger than Mary. Pale in her long black Victorian dress, she smiled at Bobby and said “It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Singer.”

“It’s been awhile.”

“You never called or wrote. I was starting to think you forgot about me.”

“Look, do you have the book or not, I don’t have time for your games,

“The deal was the money in exchange for the book. No money — no book. You might be one of my best customers and a demon in the sack but we both know how hard it was to get this book. Now either you pay me or I’m going to leave," Calliope said bluntly.

“Show me the book first.”

“Money first,” she practically growled.

Reaching into his back pocket, Bobby took out a rolled up wad of cash. Hundreds were all bound with a rubber band as he waved it at Calliope. Not willing to part with the money without evidence of the summoning book, Bobby said, “On three; one… two…”

Walking over towards Bobby, she smirked before pulling a small book from a cascade of ruffles. Quickly exchanging it for the money, Calliope stepped back and let herself out the door. Looking down at the cover, Bobby saw that the antiques dealer hadn’t squelched on their deal. Opening the book, he saw the spell in gold Greek lettering.

“She seemed lovely,” Mary said sarcastically as Bobby flipped through a couple of pages.

“Calliope isn’t exactly what you call a people person, but she’s good at what she does.”

“Namely, you?" Mary teased.

“Another thing you should know about Calliope is that she is full of bullshit. Besides, she’s not my type.”

“She certainly has that whole Mina vibe going on there," Mary said.

“She will be happy to hear that. She’s a big fan of Bram Stoker.”

“Is that really the book or is it a fake?" Mary asked changing the subject.

“It’s real, alright, but we’ll know by tonight when we’ve gathered all the supplies that we’re going to need.”

“You don’t have them here?”

“I’m missing a couple of things. It shouldn’t take me too long to get them.”

“Do you really think this will work,” Mary asked worriedly.

“Hell, it better, because we’re all out of options. If we don’t kill him now, the families he made a deal with will always be looking over their shoulders wondering when Azazel is going to collect. No one should live like that.”

“I just seems too easy, you know? I expected it to be harder to get rid of Old Yellow Eyes.”

“I call it a blessing in disguise,” Bobby said. “If we hadn’t found out about the Colt or the book, we would be searching for years for a way to get rid of Azazel.

“I sometimes wonder what would have happened if had been me instead of John. Would he be on the road of the boys — never stopping until he got his vengeance? He always did put me on some kind of pedestal. I hate to think that he would have dragged my boys into this life.”

“You know what that’s like better than anyone else, but I don’t think your husband would had chosen that life for Sam and Dean,” Bobby said, trying to be encouraging.

“The problem is, I think he would have. You didn’t know John. He was a stubborn man who would have stopped at nothing to get his vengeance. I loved my husband, but I knew what kind of man he was.”

“We can’t change the past, Mary. I wish we could, but you’re doing right by those boys. You can think of what ifs or you deal with the cards that life has dealt with you and move on.”

“You’re right, Bobby. Now let’s go kill that son of a bitch... but first I have to find a babysitter for Sam.”

“I know just the person.”

Thirty minutes later a freckled face thirteen year old with pigtails knocked on the door. Opening it, Bobby smiled at the young girl and said, “Thanks for coming in such short notice.”

“No problem, Mr. Singer! Usually my mom doesn’t like me babysitting at nights, but tomorrow is Saturday and she kind of likes you.”

“Um, Jody Mills meet Mary Winchester. You’ll be watching her son, Sam,” Bobby said, ignoring the fact that Ms. Mills had a crush on him.

“Where is he?”

“Upstairs, sleeping,” Mary said. “We should be just a couple of hours and then we’ll be back.”

“No problem, Ms. Winchester. I promise to take good care of Sam.”

“I know you will,” Mary said, taking an instant liking to Jody.

Leaving Sam in Jody’s good hands, Bobby and Mary drove a couple of towns over to get the supplies they needed from another hunter. They stocked up on a little bit of everything before going to a clearing in a forest not too far from Bobby’s house. Taking a bowl from the bag, Bobby had brought with him, he placed in on the ground. After mixing a couple of the ingredients they needed to summon to Azazel, Bobby began to recite the spell.

Suddenly and without warning, Bobby stopped. He then turned around towards Mary, his eyes yellow instead of brilliant blue.

“Hello, Mary. Did you really think you could defeat me?" he asked with a laugh. “Foolish human, you will never be able to get rid of me. Colt or no Colt, you don’t have the guts to kill this vessel. Give up, Mary Winchester."

“Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus…" she began, grabbing the Colt from the bag. “You’re lying! omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica. Ergo draco maledicte,” she continued.

“I’ll make you pay with his blood.”

“The hell you will!”

As Mary continued the exorcism, Bobby’s body began to contort. Although she was worried for her friend, Mary knew that she had to do this. She knew how Bobby felt about demons and he would rather die than having one use him as a meat suit.

“If you give up now, I will give you anything you want. You can have John back all I have to do is snap my fingers just put down the gun.”

“There is nothing you can offer that I want," Mary said. “Terribilis Deus de sanctuario suo. Deus Israhel ipse truderit virtutem et fortitudinem plebi Suae. Benedictus deus. Gloria patri. Adios Bitch.”

With those words Bobby’s body fell to the forest ground with a thud. Not moving, he laid there as Azazel reformed in his original body. Glancing over, she didn’t see if the older man was breathing. Not sure that Bobby was still alive, Mary cocked the Colt and pointed in the demon.

“You’re too late, he’s already gone," Azazael said. “This is the end of line Mary, it’s either you or me. I prefer if it was me.”

Grinning maliciously, he moved towards Mary. Using his powers, he knocked her into a tree. Bleeding from her forehead, a still conscious Mary struggled to get up. Her legs were wobbly for a bit before she was able to stand her ground against the demon. Seeing the Colt on the ground next to her feet, Mary quickly grabbed before Azazel could. Steadying the gun in her hand, she lifted it and took her shot — right between his eyes.

“You won’t be bothering another family family again, you fucking asshole!”

As the demon’s body fell to the ground in ashes, Mary dropped the Colt and ran over to Bobby. Feeling for a pulse, she couldn’t find one. Tears streamed down her cheeks as Mary started to perform CPR on the older man. She couldn’t let Bobby die — not like this. Finally  after a couple of seconds, he began to breathe again.

“I knew you were too stubborn to die,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief.

With his head pillowed in Mary’s lap, he looked up at her and asked, “Is he gone — is Azazel dead?”

“Yup,  shot the bastard right between the eyes. He’s gone for good," Mary said helping Bobby up from the ground.

Using her as a crutch, Bobby limped over to where they had parked the Impala. After getting into the car, Mary turned on the engine before driving away.  D riving towards Bobby’s, Mary felt a weight lift off her shoulders. Her boys were safe now. Yellow Eyes was gone, and he wouldn’t be hurting another family again.

Arriving at the house, Mary parked the car before helping Bobby through the front door. Once inside, Bobby limped over to his recliner in the study while Mary went to check on Jody and Sam. Peering into the living room, she found the teenager with her eyes closed with Sam peacefully sleeping on her chest.

She took a mental picture of the adorable scene before deciding that they could both use the rest. Tiptoeing out of the living room, Mary went to see what Bobby was up to. Seeing him with his legs up, with a can of beer in his and a book in another, Mary smiled before sitting down.

“I’ll have that drink now.”

"I thought you couldn’t drink because you were breastfeeding," Bobby said with a bit of surprise.

“Oops,” Mary said with a laugh. “I didn’t know if I could trust you or not. I decided to err on the side of caution.”

“As I paranoid bastard myself, I can appreciate that.”

A smirk lit up Bobby’s face as he handed her a can of beer from the cooler beside his recliner. After taking it from him, Mary popped the top and drank a couple of sips before putting the can down. It had been awhile since she had a drink, but she could use a little bit of celebrating after what she had just been through. Even though the beer was slightly flat and not the best quality, the taste felt like she had come home.

“So, I trust you’ll be looking for that place tomorrow.”

“Honestly, Bobby there is no hurry. Besides, Dean likes it here.”

“Really?”

“You’re his new hero," Mary said with a chuckle. “Bringing him to see animatronic cowboys scored you a couple of brownie points.”

“You’re just trying to butter me up.”

“Maybe. The truth is that I’m looking for a place not too far from yours — I promised Dean.”

“There really isn’t anything sale on the block, but there are a couple of houses I know of a few blocks down that might be in your price range.”

“We’ll take a look later. Right now I want to drive over to the hospital and get Dean.”

“At three o’clock in the morning?

“Sure, why not? I want both my boy under one roof. I didn’t drink that much and I just really want to see my son.”

“Let me go get my keys," Bobby said, struggling to get up.

“Why don’t you stay here and wake up Jody to take her home? I’ll go get Dean.”

Grabbing her keys, Mary went to the Impala and drove off towards the hospital. With the empty road in front of her, Mary thought of the future and what it might hold. Remembering the dream she had not so long ago and Bobby’s admission to having a bit of a crush on her, Mary smiled.

The older man was handsome in his own way with his reddish long hair and kind blue eyes. He wasn’t John, but perhaps that was the appeal. She wasn’t ready for dating yet but with time, Mary could see herself falling for a man like Bobby Singer. He might be gruff one the outside, but inside, he had a heart of gold. When she was ready, Mary was definitely planning on asking him out on a date. Bobby was a gem of a man and honestly even if they ended up just being friends, Mary wasn’t willing to let him go so quickly.With that thought in mind, she pulled the Impala into the hospital parking lot before going inside. After signing release forms in triplicate, Sioux Falls General Hospital released Dean into her care. Wrapping her arms carefully around her oldest, Mary hugged Dean for all he was worth. Both her little boys were safe and sound — she couldn’t wait to have both under the same roof again.

Driving back home, Mary remembered that the future was still unwritten. With Azazel gone, she would be alive to make sure that her boys never grow up to be hunters. With a life off the road, Dean and Sam could be anything they wanted, a choice that she had never been given. As she pulled into Bobby’s driveway, she realized she thought of the place as home.

Opening the door, she was greeted by a giggling Sam and a smiling Bobby. Gathering both her boys in her arms, Mary breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, the future was still uncertain, but Mary Winchester was going to make the best out of the life she was given. Leaning over, she placed a brief kiss on Bobby’s lips.

It was a promise for what was to come — all they needed was time, and now that Azazel was dead, they both had plenty of it to figure out what comes next for them and their little family they were beginning to build. Something  deep inside her whispered that her vision was real, that someday little Danielle Hope would be born, and it gave her hope for what the future might hold.

It wasn’t the life Mary that had imagined she would have — it was something better.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who are wondering who Casper is, I promise it will be explained eventually. I plan on expanding this story into a series of its own.


End file.
